Mission Failed: A Safe Return
by Bakutiku
Summary: They are finally back. Chapter 1: Neji and Tenten, ft. Maito Gai. Slight NejiTen. Very very slight.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. But Neji lived! Neji lived! Neji lived!

Neko-chan: Oi, shut up.

Bakutiku: Neji lived! Neji lived!

_(Bakutiku is giddy with happiness)_

Neko-chan: Don't make me stand on a chair and turn red! 8(

Bakutiku: ... okay.

_(Bakutiku cowers from the power of her editor)_

**A/N:** Bleh, inspired by lots of fanart. XD So here's a little fic to the good news about Neji... cheers, Neji fans!

ooooooo

They had finally allowed her to visit. Room 164. All that time she spent worrying; it had paid off. His condition was stable. He was safe.

Tenten stood outside Neji's room, mentally preparing herself for the sight of her teammate. The medic-nins had warned her that he had severe injuries in the torso... two holes, actually. Inside the room, she could hear Gai-sensei. Gai saying how fast Neji was going to recover. Gai saying how the advantages of youth is that you heal quickly. Gai saying how much Neji had to fight on and get better. Gai saying how proud he was. Gai, Gai, Gai. Their sensei... he was so optimistic sometimes, it got annoying. The other genins probably would have died if they were to be stuck in the same room as him. But if you were with him for two years, you get used to it.

She inhaled deeply and opened the door.

"Tenten! Great of you to join us!" crowed the sensei mentioned above, giving her a thumbs up and a grin that would make the advertising manager for Colgate WhiteStrips drool with jealousy. He waved his hand at the chair by the other side of the bed. "Have a seat."

Tenten sat down slowly, all the while watching Neji.

Hyuuga Neji. That smug, confident bastard. That cursed, unfortunate child. That self-pitying, fate-fearing teammate she has known since her academy days. He was always the same though, through all those years. The same pillar of bitterness and spite.

This figure laying on the bed was so different from the boy Tenten had trained with for so long. This person was defeated, black hair, noticeably shorter, scattered on top of the pillow, torso covered in bandages seeped with blood, silvery eyes unfocused and wandering. His gaze was softer too. None of the hatred that could be seen. His lips were arranged in a half-smile, instead of smirk that had been used so often people had thought it was permanently molded on.

"Neji, you look doped out," were her first words to him. She scolded herself inside. How mean that sounded. How she had hidden her worry too well.

Gai was shocked. "Tenten! Is this what you tell your teammate after he's been injured? Apologize!"

Tenten felt her cheeks blush slightly from embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

'Yes I did.' she added mentally.

Neji listened to her half-hearted apology and for a moment, his famous smirk came back. Then he realized it hurt too much to stretch his facial muscles so much, and let his lips fall back to the goofy smile it was. But not before he had made sure that Tenten had seen the small change of his facial features.

Gai wasn't showing how much he knew. Of course he understood that Tenten was just concerned about Neji. He had seen her, crying by the training grounds after Neji left.

He sighed loudly and got up from his chair. "Well, I'm leaving. Try and get along, and remember: May be fire of youth burn bright and fiery!"

His students smiled weakly at him, an encouragement for him to leave. Gai nodded, and marched off, his footsteps heard from Room 164. Neji and Tenten looked at each other, waiting for the first person to speak. Tenten decided to be brave.

"Neji, does it hurt?" She flinched at how nice she sounded now. First she was too mean, now too nice. Will she ever get it right?

He nodded a little, speaking would just give him a searing pain in the throat.

'What do I say now? Pat him on the arm? Leave? Smile?' She thought.

Her worries were broken when she noticed that Neji's expression turned into a slightly pained look. Tenten realized that he was mustering enough strength to tell her something. After several gasps and wheezes, she was able to figure out what Neji was trying to say.

"Lee?"

He nodded, relieved that she had understood.

"We don't know. He took off early this morning, after you guys."

They fell silent, each pondering what had happened to their other teammate.

"I hope he's safe." Tenten added. Neji nodded again.

'I'm glad you're safe, too,' she thought, 'you made me worry.'

ooooooo

There goes an hour. Hmm... I might write something else on Ino. Yup. Tomorrow.

Argh... my eyes are like slits... so tired... and must send this off to Neko-chan for her approval... zzZzz...


End file.
